The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-29
COM. vANDERRILT's CouEYINa.


Sally Lake Wonldn't Have Him Because He
Was Too Poor-The Old House.
New York World.
One Of the Oldest houses in all this broad
country of ours is that low, vine-covered cot
tage that peeps out from a mass of greenery not
one hundred yards from the quarantine station
on Staten island. at Clifton 1t was built in
I7l0. nearly one hundred and seventy-seven
years ago, by Dutch merchant, who used it as
summer home 1t passed through many
hands afterwards. 1t was here that Lord Howe
made his headquarters during the Revolution
and here that he discussed the terms of peace
with Benjamin Franklin. That same summer
an English grenader, stationed in the house,
fell in love with pretty waiting maid there.
and upon her refusal TO marry him he hanged
himself from beam in the ceiling.
The present owner of the place is John 81.
Austen. 1t is known as the Austen place. and
the bread lawn reaches down to the waters of
the bay. Here and there cannon balls that have
been dug out of the ground are piled up--rellcs
of Revolutionary days. Great shade trees pro-
tect the approach TO the house. the outer door
has old-fashioned diamond shaped window panes,
and the heavy inside oaken door still fastens with
a rude century -old latch. The knocker in lieu
of bell is griffip's grim head, brought from an
old chateau at Rouen, and the low ceilings are
paneled with English deal taken from captured
ships. The big fireplace is tiled with Holland
tiles, and over the mantel are two ancient can
dle-sticks that belonged to the Van Tassel fam
lily at Sleepy Hollow, and three links of the
chain stretched across the Hudson at West
Point in 1778.
About a century after the house was built, in
1910, it passed into the hands of family named
| Lake. The two daughters--Sally and Patience
were the bellies of the Observation-Disclosures
| looking, buxom iasses. All the young bucks in
| the neigh borhood paid court to them. One Of
| the most persistent suitors was young Cornelius
Vanderbilt, afterward called the Commodore
| father of the late William H. Vanderbilt, and
the founder of the Vanderbilt fortunes. But he
| didn't get the girl, because he considered
| too poor. Years LATER when ne had made his
| great success he told the story he sailed past
| the place in his own yacht, tho Una. Mr. Aus
| ten, the present owner of the house, was deck
with the Commodore, and poin ted out the house.
| 1t was in lS45. Commodore Vanderbilt looked
| across at it. and said:
| "Well, ought to know that place if anybody
does. 1t was right there that courted one of
the prestiest girls on the island before you were
| born. We were very intimate. / remember one
| warm day in August, 1911. when I sailed ferry
boat between New York and Staten island
| walked down to the lower bay for breath OF
cold air AS | returned. about shutdown, in
front Of the house heard some girl crying
'Corneei Cornell! Why don't you stop and see
usP 1 said, 'All right and went in and sat down
! the way l was, in a red-fannel shirt. with the
sleeves rolled up to my elbows and my collar un
buttoned. / stayed for dinner. After that
went to the house every night for month, wher
| the mother, finding out what was up to, drove
me out of the house, as she said that she didn
| want Sal to marry any poor devil like me.'
| Mr.. Austen told the Commodore how a win
| dow in the house had the name Sail Lake
scratched upon it with a big C under the name
alongside of the year 1872 THAT was the
identical gal, answered the Commodore sane
the big stands for Cornell and put it Their,
| myself after Sail had scratched her own nam,
on the window"
The Austen house has been the scene of man,
| gay and festive time 1t was opposite th
| house that the little Sirius and Savannah starte,
| RI ctoan ,ioofi
Britain. Now every morning seven or eigh
large steamers can be from it's window
anchored in the stream waiting for the heaitl
officer. The large mansion adjoining the Austel
House was formerly the club-h house Of the New
York Yacht Club, and number of yachts were
always anchored of in the bay opposite.